Spartan South Midlands Football League
2003-2004 Season
Premier Division

Leverstock Green 2 Biggleswade Town 0

Saturday, 30 August 2003



Leverstock Green won their third game on the trot by beating Biggleswade Town at Pancake Lane. With several players either injured or suspended Mick Vipond introduced Shaun Sangster from the now defunct Tring Town.

This was a even game of football but Leverstock Green had too much fire power up front with Matt Wardle, Tony Sears and Dennis Fenemore and this showed in the result. The Green had the first effort at goal after 7 minutes from a corner by Andy Phillips to Tony Sears, his hard shot was on target but the Biggleswade defence managed to keep the ball out of the goal and it was deflected for another corner.

After 16 minutes a long throw from Sears into the Biggleswade six yard area saw Tony Beamish force a corner. From the kick the ball fell to Kevin Brett and Steve Boad who both had efforts knocked away, the ball falling to Wardle whose shot was pushed away by Vazquez for another Green corner.

Seven minutes later Wardle had a traffic run after a long pass by Jimmy Milton. Wardle beat two defenders and his cross went across the goal with no one following up to put the ball into the net.

Biggleswade were playing good football themselves, Nigro should have scored after 38 minutes when he found himself in front of goal after a neat pass by Gibbs set him, up. But his shot was well saved by Matt Timberlake who pushed the shot away for a corner. A few minutes later the Green once again threaten the Biggleswade goal when Sears put the ball into Fenemore who beat a number of players but his shot came to nothing and the Biggleswade defence easily cleared the ball. On half time Fenemore beat a defender in the penalty box and crossed a god ball to Wardle who shot wide of the goal.

The second half opened up with the Green pressing again first a Milton free kick caught Vazquez off his line and the goal keeper just got a finger tip to the ball to put the ball over the bar for a corner. In the 48th minute the Green scored their opening goal. Tony Sears challenged a long with goal keeper Vazquez, the goal keeper managed to get to the ball first but only cleared the ball to Matt Wardle who chipped the ball into an empty net to score his first goal of the season.

Tony Sears could have increased the lead in the 55th minute when he easily beat his marker but shot weakly at the goal keeper was saved easily. A minute later a Phillips cross was met by Tony Beamish whose accurate header at goal was saved at close range by Vazquez.

In the 65th minute the Green increased their lead. A corner by Milton to Phillips who crossed the ball to the far post was picked up by Brett who was in loads of space. The Referee pointed to the penalty spot after the Biggleswade goal keeper pushed Beamish to the ground in the 6 yard box. Fenemore took the penalty kick to score his third goal of the season. Six minutes later Fenemore played a great pass in to the path of Milton whose shot strongly at the goal only to find that Vazquez once again making a great save. Biggleswade got back into the game after this point with a couple of chances at goal. Firstly a free kick from Rainbow, Johnson had committed a foul on the edge of the penalty area went just over the bar and then Massey had a great header at goal the just went over the bar after a good free kick again from Rainbow.

Leverstock run out easy winners in the end and are now looking forward to their FA Vase 1st qualifying round game against Broxbourne away next Saturday.

Team: Timberlake, Sangster, Beamish, Brett, Johnson, Boad, Phillips, Wardle, Milton, Sears and Fenemore. Subs: McKane for Sangster, Whitby, Bartlett and Simpson did not play

Tony Smart